Virgen de las Rosas

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When on the hill, Ruta 3.

Back in 2017 I did a post titled Holy Week is Approaching in Atenas that included this photo (at left) of the locally made statue of the Virgen de las Rosas.

Until about a year ago it was sitting on this hill (photo below) east of Atenas along Ruta 3 but so far away you could hardly see it (the white spot on top of hill). At some point the property owner decided he did not want it on his property anymore with people climbing over his fence to see it, so the parish took it down, freshened it and added some color and installed it in the church yard by Central Park Atenas – the feature photo at top. Or for better photos:

On the Facebook page for Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel, Atenas, Costa Rica there is a photo album for the Virgen de las Rosas created after it was moved to the church with much better photos than mine!

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The former location of the Virgen de las Rosas (white spot on top of hill)

¡Pura Vida!

National Park in San Jose

Yes, it is a city park called “National Park” partly because of the Battle of Rivas statue, I guess.

Statue honoring women who fought in Battle of Rivas, Nicaragua
 which kept American William Walker from making us a slave state.
 National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Tour guide Michael Miller explaining the statue.
National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Great-tailed Grackle male 
 National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Zoom on statue on a cloudy day.
National Park
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica
Trip Gallery:  2017 Nov 14 – San Jose Tour

Or my San Jose Gallery  with photos from several trips to the capital.

And a separate gallery for Costa Rica Churchesmost in San Jose

San Jose’s Anne Frank and Historic Buildings

It would take a huge gallery to show all the statues and old historic building – here’s a sample:

Anne Frank
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

And if you think it is unusual to find a statue of Anne Frank in Costa Rica next to a Catholic Cathedral, in another park of downtown, maybe 8-10 blocks away, in front of a Catholic Church and near the entrance to Chinatown, is a life-size statue of John Lennon sitting on a park bench beside whom you can sit and have your photo made.  🙂

Historic Building 
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

“The Yellow House” 
 A government building where foreign representatives are met.
President Obama met with CR president here.
 Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

The Mexican Embassy (through a moving bus window)
So much more inviting than the razor-wired concrete bunker for USA.
 Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

A bunch of old expats listening to a San Jose Guide.
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Our Tour Bus for the Day 
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Graffiti Wall like many
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

The old historic building our guide lived in
Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica

Trip Gallery:  2017 Nov 14 – San Jose Tour

Or my San Jose Gallery  with photos from several trips to the capital.

And a separate gallery for Costa Rica Churches, most in San Jose

More of San Jose: Public Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, the capital city was interesting even with seeing on a small portion, but that is all the photos for  now and I’m ready to get back to nature, enough of this city stuff! And I’ve got a good photo to share tomorrow, shot right here in my own garden, by best shot yet of one particular species. See ya’ tomorrow!

See also my Photo Gallery on San Jose

First Afternoon in San Jose

EXPLORING THE CONCRETE JUNGLE!
DAY 1
Holiday Inn Downtown San Jose
My room is on the 16th floor, with only
the 17th floor Dining Room above me.
San Joe, Costa Rica
I mainly look south with fewer tall buildings, but parts of sunrise/sunset.
San Joe, Costa Rica

 

Temple of Music in Morazan Park across the street
San Joe, Costa Rica

 

“Kissing Statue”
Is another thing Morazan Park is known for.
San Joe, Costa Rica
1890 Escuelas Graduadas, famous metal school building
San Joe, Costa Rica

 

1890 Escuelas Graduadas, famous metal school building 
San Joe, Costa Rica
This is one block from hotel and my check-in desk clerk Javier
went to school here and was proud that I photographed it.

This metal school building of course reminded me of the metal church building in Grecia, Costa Rica I shared it back in 2015. See a photo of that equally unusual church building in my gallery.

 

Museum of Modern Art??
Well, that was one name and there was some,
but it was mostly a children’s art museum
with a few adult works in one of 4 galleries.
Disappointing.
San Jose, Costa Rica
I did like this adult installation, for
the color in Museum of Modern Art.
San Jose, Costa Rica

In the first gallery, there was a lot of clothing designed in CR, some book covers designed here, and a few other adult-made installations like the umbrellas above. The other three galleries were all work of school children interpreting life on other planets. Those galleries probably rotate or change and I suspect that some of the schools of design here display their work from time to time. So I will check their website before I go again to see what I’m getting into!

Children Play in Water Fountain
Plaza of Culture
San Jose, Costa Rica
NOTE: After I made this image, a security guard came up to me and said
something like, “I’m sorry sir but we do not allow making photos of
children here. Please stop.” I stopped and was amazed! Interesting!
The security of children here is very important!

 

Feeding Pigeons
Is an activity in every park in Costa Rica, by all ages.
San Jose, Costa Rica

 

The National Theater  or  Teatro Nacional
Beside the Plaza of Culture
San Jose, Costa Rica

 

Flutist Statue
at the National Theater
San Jose, Costa Rica

 

Clowns Sell Face-painting
Plaza of Culture
San Jose, Costa Rica

 

Indigenous People Music
On sidewalk across from Plaza of Culture
San Jose, Costa Rica

 

And You Can Buy CD of the Indigenous MusicOn sidewalk across from Plaza of Culture
San Jose, Costa Rica

Big city life is always colorful and interesting anywhere in the world. No exception here!

“Happy Hour”
By Holiday Inn in a 15th floor corner room watching the sunset.
Lots of free snack food and drinks was my dinner after a big lunch!
And that building above is Banco Nacional, my Costa Rica bank.
San Jose, Costa Rica

And I made loads of photos of interesting old buildings on the streets I walked today. I may eventually add them to my San Jose or other photo gallery at Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA. This city has lots of interesting things to photograph! Tomorrow I start with old historic churches and then see what happens after that. This is almost as much fun as the real jungles, though I like their animals better!  🙂

La Muchacha

West End 3rd floor landing balcony, La Muchacha & door to my apartment.

In the dictionary, “muchacha” is just another Spanish word for girl, but in real life Costa Rica it is more; what the young men call a good-looking young lady, like “chick” in the states. My taxi driver in a barrio of San Jose whistled at a couple of teenage girls, looked at me, smiled, and said “Barrio’s Muchachas!” Well, we have one at Hacienda La Jacaranda too – at my front door!
“Muchacha” is what two-year old Matthaeus in the apartments calls the only statue in our building. It is a wood carving of a nude girl (sun worshipping?) that stands on the west end 3rd floor landing right across from my front door and and my neighbor’s door. Hmmmmm . . . you say! Well, it’s just art! Phons, the previous owner, loved nudes! (Has more around his house.) And I didn’t put it there! Wait until you see the paintings he put in my living room! But for now enjoy these photos of Matthaeus’ Muchacha! 🙂 Our wooden chick!
Carved from one piece of wood, dated 2004.

Looks like sun worshipping to me!

You hardly notice it when you walk up the hill.
Today I had lunch with a couple and their lady friend from New Jersey. Tomorrow I’m taking the retired man birding on the Tarcoles River. My first time to get that far away from Atenas for nature photography. I’m looking forward to it. Lots of birds tomorrow!